Richard Newdigate 1668-1727

Sir Richard NEWDIGATE, 3rd baronet 1668-1727

The bookplate of Sir Richard Newdigate, dated 1709 (British Museum Franks Collection 21722)

The bookplate of Richard Newdigate, dated 1702, British Museum Franks Collection *371

Biographical Note

Son of Sir Richard Newdigate, 2nd bart, of Arbury Hall, Warwickshire, from whom he inherited the title and family estates in January 1709/10. Matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1685 but did not graduate. He did not follow his father into Parliament and seems to have devoted his time to managing his estates at Arbury and Harefield; his father fell out with him but left him property encumbered with considerable debts.

Characteristic Markings

There is a rather puzzling succession of Newdigate bookplates in the Franks Collection. A plate of "Sr Richard Newdigate of Arbury, in the county of Warwick, baronet', dated 1709 (Franks 21722), is presumably this man's, made shortly after inheriting the title; it is noted as being an altered version of a plate which was originally used for Sir Richard's second son John, dated 1702 (Franks 21720/*364). A plate of "Richard Newdigate, Esqr." dated 1702 (Franks 21721/*371) is presumably also his, though it may be noted that there is no mark of cadency on this plate (as there is on John's, which has a crescent for the second son). None of them is attributed to the 2nd baronet, therefore, though there are other possible interpretations of the evidence.

Over forty sixteenth- and seventeenth-century books containing one of these plates (the majority of them the 1709 plate) are now in the Harry Ransom Research Center, University of Texas. Many carry wider family provenance evidence, notably a Shakespeare First Folio (PFORZ 905 PFZ) with the ownership inscription of his grandfather, the first baronet.

The extent and disposition of Newdigate's library is not known. His will (like his father's) has no specific mention of books; his household goods and furniture were left to his wife, during her lifetime, and afterwards to his eldest son Edward Newdigate, who became the 4th baronet.

Sources

• Newdigate baronets, Wikipedia.
• Will of Sir Richard Newdigate (3rd bart), The National Archives PROB 11/617/413.
• Will of Sir Richard Newdigate (2nd bart), The National Archives PROB 11/521/333.
• Foster, J., Alumni Oxonienses, Oxford, 1891.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.